Carbohydrate fermentation by Clostridium difficile.
Biochemical properties of Clostridium difficile were reinvestigated for the practical identification of the organism in clinical laboratories. Bacterial growth in 2% proteose peptone medium supplemented with 0.01% L-cysteine.HCl and 0.1% agar supported sufficient growth to read the fermentation results just as well as did pre-reduced anaerobically sterilized medium. Incubation for 2 days was long enough for determining the ability to ferment fructose, glucose, mannitol, mannose, melezitose, and sorbitol. All of the 82 strains liquefied 2% but not 10% gelatin. The significance of mannitol fermentation and gelatin liquefaction is stressed since C. difficile is the only species fermenting mannitol among the gelatin-liquefying species of clostridia having subterminal spores.
D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D003013:Clostridium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media; D005285:Fermentation; D005780:Gelatin / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008353:Mannitol / Q000378:metabolism; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D014994:Xylose / Q000378:metabolism
D003470:Culture Media; D014312:Trisaccharides; D008353:Mannitol; D005780:Gelatin; D014994:Xylose; D005947:Glucose; C005190:melezitose